Tensions
by FlexyourImagination
Summary: A story all about the tension that House and Cuddy have together. HUDDY obviously. K for now, but that will change ;) Horrible at summaries but give it a read! Minor language.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't written in ages... I've had HUGE writers block, so hopefully you like this next fic because it took me ages to figure out a basic plot. It probably doesn't help that I write all my stories on my iPod off the top of my head :) No matter, the show must go on! Please review, it's like a high for me but with none of the risks ;)

Yelling could be heard throughout the lobby at PPTH, again. Naturally, the two to blame were Lisa Cuddy and Greg House; they always were. Staff members had adapted to their daily disputes, however for the last few weeks the bickering had escalated to a level that made even the most patient of people cringe.

House and Cuddy had always fought, it became such a natural thing that it would be foreign if they didn't. For reasons which are unknown, the tensions they always shared had been rising to epic levels as of late, driving each other and everyone around them up the walls and back down again.

"House you have to apologize to that patient. You had no right to attack him with inappropriate and irrelevant questions... you humiliated the guy!" Cuddy yelled, strutting after House as they crossed the main entrance. Rolling his eyes, House abruptly stopped and turned around, stretching to his full height in attempt to intimidate her. Cuddy skidded to a halt a mere inches away from smacking into him; his height did not intimidate her, instead she too stood straight trying to gain back some height next to him. They stood almost chest to chest, trying to prove their dominance and superiority over the other.

House sneered and yelled back at her. "Like hell I am! That guy was a rude old bastard, it's not my fault he was too stunned to realize he had an ear infection and was gullible enough to answer my questions!" Everyone in the main entrance began to peer around to catch a glimpse of their latest brawl. A few shook their heads slightly as they exited the scene before things got ugly. Some staff members muttered under their breath, "God help us," "not again," and even "just have sex already..."

Cuddy threw her hands in the air. "I don't want to hear it! You're apologizing and I don't care whether you want to or not! Personally I think it's about time you got a little taste of your own medicine!" House leered at her, and she returned the look with fury. For a moment, they glared into each others eyes, both looking for any signs of weakness, a crack in their ego, anything. There was nothing, their expressions as hard as stone. House broke the stare, looking at his watch. "Look at the time, my soap's on in 5 minutes. A pleasure as always, Dr. Cuddy." He spat sarcastically.

With that he spun in his heel and made a beeline for the elevators. "I don't think so, get back here House before I fire your ass!" Cuddy shouted running after him. "You'll never fire me," he said cockily. "You love me too much." He gave her a fake smile as the doors began to close. Unfortunately, much to House's dismay, Cuddy managed to slip in between the doors as they were about the shut. He looked at her, feigning confusion. "Wait a minute, I thought we just did the scene where I left and you DIDN'T follow me. Amateur mistake, really, but it's fine. Just get off the elevator and we'll pretend this never happened." He mocked. "Think again House. I think you missed the scene where you remembered I'M the boss and YOU are my employee. The boss gets what she wants and the employee doesn't. We're going back to the main floor so you can apologize." She rebutted, trying to keep her temper under control.

Suddenly, the elevator shook violently and the lights flickered. It halted abruptly, causing Cuddy to lose her balance and tumble into House. He instinctively held her waist to keep her from falling as she was pressed into him. Once Cuddy regained her balance she pried herself off him and smacked his hands away. House puts his hands up in innocence. Ignoring him, Cuddy said with a defeated tone, "the elevators stopped. We're stuck here. Do you have a cellphone?" Taking in her words, House sat down on the floor, stretching his legs out as he leaned against the wall. "Nope, and my pager's in my office... oops."

Cuddy put her hands over her face. What has she ever done to deserve this punishment? Being trapped in an elevator was bad, but being trapped in an elevator with House was a nightmare. After a while, Cuddy sighed and sat down next to House. A few minutes had passed and House decided to break the silence. "I'm going to miss my soap," he whined. Cuddy looked a him incredulously. "Honestly? You're worried about your SOAP? You should be worried about the fact that we're trapped in an elevator! Or even better, you could start worrying about your job 'cause I'm just about ready to throw your ass out of here!" She said angrily.

It was House's turn to look at her incredulously. "The only thing I should be worried about is what I'm having for lunch! You'd never fire me, I'm the biggest asset this hospital has!" House then spat, "oh wait! My apologies, I'm the biggest asset this hospital has other than that sexy bod of yours. People will chop off a limb just to get in here and catch a glimpse of your ass." Cuddy was furious. "Or maybe people chop off their limbs because shit happens and they come here because this hospital is great thanks to the work that I'VE done! All I ever do is..." House cut her off before she could continue. "Work that you've done eh? You mean when you lead a bunch of rich idiots around the hospital giving them a good look down your shirt so they fork over the cash? I'm sure it's draining." He said with a victorious smile.

Now Cuddy was livid. How dare he? For lack of a better idea, her response was to simply slap House across the face. She wanted a reaction, a sign of pain, fear, or even anger. She wanted something, but she got nothing. House looked slightly shocked as he rubbed his face, looking at her intently. "I think you cleared my sinuses." He quipped with a smirk.

That's it! Cuddy had reached her last straw, her patience snapping like a twig. She pushed House over and began beating his chest and arms, attempting to literally knock some sense into him. For a moment he was completely in shock, unaware of the situation he had gotten himself into. Once realization kicked in, House tried to grab her wrists and pry her off of him. He coughed as his chest was continually beaten, and his arms stung from being punched. He couldn't get a hold of her but knew that he had to take control of the situation before he got beaten to a pulp.

House would never hit Cuddy; as much as they fought and claimed to despise each other, he'd never lay his hands on her...to hurt her anyways. Finally snatching her wrists, he wrestled with her trying to shove her off. For such a small person, Cuddy could definitely hold her own. Although she was quite strong, she was no match for House as he managed to roll over and onto her. Cuddy squeaked as House's weight was suddenly on top of her. Finally the beating had subsided and now he had his culprit squished beneath him. He held her wrists above her head as she struggled, and placed his knees on either side of her, squeezing to keep her still.

"House! Get the hell off me!" She gasped as she wrestled with him again in attempt to escape his grasp. "Says the woman who nearly beat me to death! I hope we learned our lesson here today; I'm twice as big and twice as strong as you. Maybe you should keep that in mind the next time you want to fight me." He said, feeling a sense of great superiority as she continued in vain to get out from under him. "You deserved it! I should've strangled you!" She barked back.

"Such strong words from someone who can't move. You're lucky I'm not a horrible person-" Cuddy snorted. He continued: "as I was saying, you're lucky I'm not a horrible person or I might have taken advantage of you." He said waggling his eyebrows. Cuddy rolled her eyes. Although this was true and she was in a vulnerable position, she wasn't afraid of House, nor his words. He just wanted a reaction from her.

"House GET OFF!" She yelled, trying to regain control of the situation. House smirked. "Just remember, when you're dealing with me, don't mess." He said, leaning in so close their noses were almost touching. He whispered softly. "I always win." Cuddy tried not to shiver as she felt his breath on her. She gulped. They stared intently at each other, neither one wanting to be the first to look away.

As if on cue, the elevator broke the moment as they felt the metal box begin to move once again. Cuddy scrambled to get House off of her as he rolled off lazily. She scowled at him as she stood up, fixing her blouse. House rose to his feet, giving her a side glance before the doors opened. "A pleasure as always, Dr. Cuddy." With that he limped out of the elevator and towards his office. Cuddy sighed, stepping out as well. She was taking the stairs to the main floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 is up! Don't forget to tell me what you think... Enjoy :)

Cuddy burst into her office and flopped into her chair, burying her face in her hands. She breathed a deep breath...what just happened?

Her wrists tingled from where House had held her, and her heart hadn't stopped racing. Why was she feeling like this? She didn't have feelings for him; all they did was fight and bicker. However even as Cuddy told herself this, she couldn't ignore the rush that she received when she felt a man looming over her; House of all people! She had no idea what he was thinking in that mind of his, and it thrilled her.

Cuddy shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking sexual thoughts about her most troublesome employee! Besides, House only liked to ruffle her feathers, there was nothing deeper than that. He was just playing with her and she'd let him. He'd probably forgotten the whole thing ever happened.

Thump. Thump. House was throwing his tennis ball against the wall in deep thought. Did he have a thing for Cuddy? Of course not. He loved to make her angry, that's all. Thump. He teased her because he liked the way it looked, not because he liked her. Right? It was just his male instincts that made him crave the feeling of having her on top of him, and even more beneath him.

Thump. There was no doubt that there was some serious sexual tension between them in the elevator, he had always felt it around her. Wanting to be close to her was nothing new either, he reveled in any chance he got to touch her; he loved the feeling of her soft, warm skin.

House slammed the ball on the table. Why was he still thinking about this? It was irrelevant, the whole thing was just a little extra tension added to his day... As if he needed any more.

Making his decision, House jumped out of his seat and made his way to Wilson's office. There's nothing like a good distraction to steer his heated thoughts out the window. At least that's what he hoped.

Walking into Wilson's office, House casually plopped down onto the couch. Wilson, who was doing paperwork, didn't even both to look up. "What do you want House." He said tiredly. House pretended to be hurt by his comment. "Can't a friend come see another friend?"

"It's you we're talking about here." Wilson said logically. He paused from writing for a moment and looked up. "Actually it's a good thing you're here. Randy's bailing on poker night this weekend." House made a rotten face. "We can't play poker with 2 people! What fun is that? We need a replacement, stat! Damn, it was his turn to supply the booze too, that sneaky little bastard." He whined. Wilson agreed with a smirk. "You should ask Cuddy."

"To supply the booze? I suppose I could..." Wilson rolled his eyes. "Ask her to play poker with us, you know what I mean." House slapped his hands over his face. Why did everything come back to Cuddy? "Wilson, she's the enemy!" He said dramatically. "Oh please, I see the way you two look at each other. I don't think either of you will admit it but you like each other and it's plain as day. In fact, everyone sees it except the pair of you. The sexual tension around you is palpable for God's sake." He finished with a smug smile. House just glared. "I think you're going delusional. Cuddy and I don't like each other, we fight because I drive her crazy and she drives me crazy." He said convincingly, yet Wilson was definitely not convinced.

"Deny it all you want, but your bickering isn't real fighting, it's foreplay. Personally I think you should make a move on her soon before you two drive everyone crazy." House jumped up from the couch. "Geez Wilson if I wanted to be lectured I'd be in Cuddy's office. But if I'm looking to be annoyed I've definitely come to the right place...too bad I'm not!" He yelled as he walked out the door. "Ask her!" Wilson managed to yell once more.

House scowled at Wilson's last comments. He hated listening to him; a smug Wilson was worse than a logical Wilson, no doubt. Nevertheless he would ask her, it would only allow him another chance to get under her skin. Checking his watch, he headed for the cafeteria, knowing she'd be having lunch. House smirked, this was going to be fun.

Reaching the cafeteria, he zeroed in on his prey. Limping up behind her, he asked loudly, "is this seat taken?" Cuddy jumped and dropped her fork. Looking around and seeing House, she glared at him. "If I said it was would it make a difference?" She asked. "Excellent point." He said as he sat in the booth across from her. Cuddy looked at him questioningly. "To what do I owe this great pleasure?" She said sarcastically.

"I always knew you associated me with pleasure." He said waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Who can blame you really, I mean, I am a stud." Cuddy scoffed loudly. "Right. That's the first word that comes to my mind when I think of you." She said teasingly, picking at her salad. "So you think of me, eh?" He teased back. "Yeah, actually I have this fantasy that you'll show up for work on time for once in your life." She spat. With every line of banter, it seemed as if the intensity between them increased as well, creating the tension that they knew all too well.

House's eyes lit up. "Do you want to hear one of my fantasies? I'll give you a hint. It involves you, a pair of handcuffs-" "House shut up!" She whispered loudly, eyes wide open as she rubbed her temples. "Is there a reason you've come to ruin my peace and quiet this afternoon?" She asked, still slightly taken aback. "Actually yes, thanks for reminding me." Cuddy rolled her eyes. "You see Cuddles, Wilson and I are one man short for poker at my house on Saturday. Since we're wonderful people, we've decided that we're willing to allow you into our tight knit poker group; one time offer, no refunds."

Cuddy stared at him for a moment, looking for a sign that might tell her if he's being serious. Finally she spoke. "You want me, to go play poker, with you two?" She said, making sure she'd heard him right. "Yup." He said. Leaning in closer he said in a low voice: "I want to see you squirm." Cuddy saw something in his eyes when he looked at her, making her feel like she was being circled by her predator. She swallowed.

Cuddy hesitated. "...I don't know..." She began but House wouldn't let her continue. "Here comes the excuses! Why don't I make things easier for you, no?" Cuddy stood up and threw out her garbage as he followed her out of the cafeteria. "How so?" She asked as she looked for an escape. Being around House at work was sometimes more than she could handle, and here she could hide from him. What would happen in his home, where she had nowhere to run? She wasn't sure if she could trust herself...either of them for that matter.

"I'll just skip all of your lame excuses about why you can't come and give you the only real excuse. You're afraid!" He concluded. They kept walking, and Cuddy kept looking for an escape route. "Pfft. Afraid of what?" She asked, trying to play it cool as if she had no idea what he meant. "You're afraid of leaving yourself vulnerable in my house, with me." He smirked, analyzing her face as they walked. Although it was subtle, he caught a glimpse of panic in her facial expressions. Busted.

Cuddy chuckled. "You think I'm afraid of you? I mean, you're a little rough around the edges to say the least..." Her heart leapt as she spotted stairwells down the hallway. Freedom! She turned and pushed open the door to the stairs, and turned to wave goodbye to House. "I don't think you're afraid of me," he said as he grabbed her before she could escape up the stairs.

He grabbed her waist and pushed her against the wall. Cuddy gasped, too shocked to move. "I think you have the hots for me." He said confidently. They stared intensely at each other, foreheads nearly touching. She did everything she could to calm her breathing, but when she spoke there was a definite shakiness to it. "Bullshit." Weak. And very unconvincing. Where was her administrative voice when she needed it?

House smirked. "I don't like being lied to, Cuddy." With that he dipped his head and began to trail the tip of his nose along her clavicle. Moving up her neck, his touch was feather-light and angel-soft, teasing and tickling her skin. He trailed up along her jaw to her cheek and over the tip of her own nose, moving agonizingly slow. Cuddy's eyes were closed as she quivered. Moving to her other cheek he reached her ear lobe. Slowly, he began to nibble her ear, soothing the bites with his tongue. Cuddy's hands immediately shot up and held onto his forearms as she let out a whimper. House chuckled softly as he continued to nibble her ear affectionately.

Suddenly Cuddy realized that she was only proving his point about her being hot for him; honestly, she didn't even believe herself at this point. She had gotten so lost in his touch that she forgot everything around her. Time to rebut.

Sliding her hands from his forearms to his chest, Cuddy fisted his shirt lapels and spun them around so that he was now up against the wall. She smiled at the shock and lust displayed on his face; it was nice to have the upper hand for once. Now it was Cuddy's turn to serve up some torture. She brushed her lips along his neck, careful not to make too much contact. As her lips fluttered across his jugular vein, she felt his heart rate thump wildly. House grasped her hips tightly. She smirked.

Reaching his face, she stood on her tippy toes and pushed her breasts against his chest, which received a growl of approval from House. From his jaw she skimmed her lips to the corner of his mouth. Both of their breathing had become short and labored and adrenaline raced through their veins from getting a taste of a forbidden treat. Cuddy's eyes were closed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her lips a mere inches away from his. They both stood frozen, the only audible sound coming from their heavy breathing.

She could feel his breath on her lips, the warmth making her tingle. House was in a similar situation, being driven insane with anticipation. Once the last of his patience finally weened away and he could not resist any longer, he made his move to kiss her. However, as House moved forward Cuddy moved back; she was well aware of what he wanted and yet she wouldn't give it to him. Instead she chuckled and patted his cheek that she had slapped previously in the elevator.

"Now if I didn't know any better I'd say _you_ have the hots for _me_." She said innocently. Cuddy then peered down between them. "Not to mention you've got yourself a little situation..." She teased, eyeing the tent in House's pants. "I'll leave you alone to...relieve yourself." House glared at her evilly, his eyes cloudy with desire. "This isn't over." He said darkly. Cuddy gave him a smug look before prying his hands off of her. "See you Saturday House." With that she waltzed up the stairs, swaying her hips as she went.

House craned his neck to get a better look. That woman was a goddess and the devil; a dangerous combination. A sexy combination. He threw his head back against the wall. How dare she leave him like this, all hot and bothered, and extremely frustrated! How could she possibly just walk away looking as if everything was normal? He knew it was an act, and they both new very well that things were no longer normal. If Cuddy was going to play this game, who was he not to play too? And come Saturday, he would regain the upper hand; after all, he'd have home field advantage. House grinned.

Saturday won't come quick enough.

TBC!


End file.
